Heating system



C. L. KERR mums SYSTEM June 13, 1933.

2 Sheets-She et 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1951 INVENTOR Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT ore-ice CHESTER L. KERR, OF EMSWORTH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ROCKGAS PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE HEATING SYSTEM Application filed February 12, 1981. Serial No. 515,252.

This invention relates to heating systems and more particularly to an improved system for operating gas burners and stoves or heaters of the type in which liquid fuel is employed and the fuel vaporized before it is supplied to the burners. An object of the invention is to provide for starting and continuously operating stoves and burners or heaters of the characters referred to without the delay at starting which is customarily incurred in the setting in operation of such heaters as heretofore practiced, wherein it is usually necessary to heat the generators employed to vaporize the liquid fuel before the burners can be set in operation.

A more particular object is to provide a system of fuel supply for heaters of the type referred to above in which an auxiliary supply of gas fuel under pressure is employed for starting the burners without delay and at the same time heating the liquid fuel vaporizer or generator, as well as for furnishing a pressure for forcing liquid fuel into the burners when it is turned on.

Another object is to provide for initially starting such a heater with a gas fuel and then automatically shutting 0H the gas fuel and turning on the liquid fuel when the generating apparatus is heated to a suflicient temperature to properly vaporize the liquid fuel.

These and other objects, as well as'the various other novel features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of a heating system illustrating one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 a side view of the fuel storage shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of a liquid fuel vaporizing generator employed in the system; Fig. 4 an enlarged view of a modification of the invention; and Fig. 5 an enlarged sectional view of the thermostatically operable combination valve utilized, shown in Fig. 4, for controlling the flow of both the gas and the liquid fuel to the vaporizing generator.

Referring now to the drawings, the em- A common form of vaporizer or generator susceptible of use in the capacity referred to is shown in Fig. 3 and comprises a tubular housing 6 which forms the outer wall of an expansion chamber 7. The fuel is communicated to this chamber through a port 8 and discharged into manifold 3 by way of a tapered opening 12 formed in a plug 13 fitted into the end of tube 6. A valve 9 located at the end of a stem 11 is employed for regulating the flow through opening 12. For operating this valve a handle 14 is secured to the outer end of stem 11, and a thread 15 is provided on it adjacent its inner end for engagement in a threaded restriction 16 formed in tube 6. Through this arrangement when the handle 14 is turned the valve is moved towards or away from its seat, depending upon the direction in which it is rotated. To allow the vapor or gas accumulated in chamber 7 to pass through the restriction 16 into the manifold, a slot 17 is cut in the side of the valve stem 11, while to provide for heating the generator it is mounted in the stove at a suitable position above burner 4 such an arrangement the burners may be started on the gas without any delay, and the normal operation of the stove carried on after the vaporizer is heated on a liquid fuel such as gasoline, kerosene or the like, and WlllCh, as

shown here, is preferably contained in standard forms of drums 22, such being readily obtainable, although any other suitable form of containers may be employed. For safety, drums or tanks containing the fuels are preferably kept at a safe distance from the stove, such for example as in the convenient and economical form of enclosure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. This, as shown, consists simply of a suitable base 23, an upright wall 24 supported in the base, and a hinged canopy 25 secured to the upper end of the wall and adapted to form a covering for the tanks which are rested on the base.

For conveying the liquid fuel to the stove a conduit 26 is connected to a pipe 20 extending from the top of the tank 22 to a point near its bottom, and to one branch of a T-joint 27 provided adjacent the stove. This T-joint is in turn connected by a pipe 28 with the inlet 8 of the generator 2. For conducting the gas fuel from tank 21 to the stove, pipes 29 and 31 are connected between the tank and the other branch of the T-joint 27. For manually controlling the flow of fluids through the pipes 26 and 31 a pair of valves 33 and 34 respectively are provided in the T-joint 27.

A feature of the invention resides in utilizing the pressure obtaining in the gas supply for forcing the liquid fuel from its supply tank up to the stove, and for this purpose a pipe 36 is connected between a multiple coupling 37 connected to pipes 29 and 31 and the top of. tank 22. For controlling the pressure which the gas will exert upon the top of the fuel in tank 22 a pressure regulator 38 is arranged in pipe 29 at the top of tank 21. In operation this regulator is adjusted to supply only the necessary pressure required for forcing the liquid fuel upwardly through the pipe 20 and the pipe 26 to the stove. For determining the amount of this pressure, and also the pressure obtaining in the line 31, a gauge 39 is connected to the top of the coupling 37. For safety, a pressure releasing valve 41 is arranged in pipe 36 between the tank 22 and coupling 37. The object of this latter valve is to permit the pressure in the fuel lines to escape in case for any reason it exceeds a predetermined safe value.

In preparing the system for operation the regulator 38 and valve 41 are first properly adjusted and valve 34 then opened. This permits the gas to flow from tank 21 into the expansion chamber 7 of the generator 2. The valve 9 is then opened by operating handle 14 of the generator whereby the gas ispermitted to flow into manifold 3 of the stove and to burner 4. Burner 4 may then be immediately lighted. As soon as the heat from the burner has heated tube 6 of the generator 2 'sufiiciently to vaporize the liquid fuel, valve 34 is closed and the valve 33 opened, whereupon due to thepressure exerted upon the liquid fuel by the gas, the former is forced through line 26 and valve 33 into the expansion chamber of the regulator, where it is vaporized and as a consequence expanded and supplied to manifold 3 under pressure, causing the burner to continue in operation as if it were. supplied with an ordinary gas fuel.

For convenience in attaching the feed lines to the fuel tanks, a valve fitting 42 communicating with a pair of key operated valves 43 and 44 may be permanently secured to the top of the drum 22 and provided with nipples 45 for the reception of the pipes 26 and 36. To protect fitting 42 in shipment a cover 46 adapted to fit over it and'be secured to the top of the drum is provided A similar arrangement 47 is provided for the top of tank 21.

To protect the pipes 26 and 31 from injury between the points where they leave the storage tanks and where they are connected to the stoves, they are fitted in a suitable pipe or conduit 32 having sufficient diameter to readily receive them and strength to adequately protect'them.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 4 provision is made for initially starting the burner with the gas fuel only turned on and for automatically turning the gas off and the liquid fuel on after the generator has been heated sufficiently to properly vaporize the liquid fuel. In order to accomplish this end the casing 6 of the generator 2 is made of material having a relatively high coefiicient of expansion, which it normally is, and suitably anchored at one end against movement, such as at 51 in the frame 52 of the stove. The inner end of thegenerator is in turn adapted to slide back and forth in accordance with the variation in length of the tube 6 in the opening 53 where it is fitted into the manifold 3. For operating a valve mechanism 54, which is suitably secured to the stove adjacent the point where the generator enters the manifold 3, an arm 55 is secured to the generator and adapted to move back and forth in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the tube 6 forming the housing of the generator. This valve 54 is substituted for the T-joint 27, shown in Fig. 1, and comprises a casing 56 divided into three compartments 57, 58 and 59. These compartments are separated by a pair of valves 61 and 62 which are mounted upon a stem 63 that is in turn extended through an end fitting 64 to a point adjacent the arm 55 mounted upon the generator 2. These valves are so spaced from each other upon the stem 63 that only one of them is able to be seated at a time. A spring 65 is positioned in chamber 59 between the inner end of stem 63 and an end fitting 65 provided on the casing 56 and adapted to hold the spring in place. The purpose of this spring is to normally urge the valve 62 against its seat.

The liquid fuel line 26 leading from the supply tank 22 is connected to the chamber 29 of the valve mechanism 54 and the pipe 31 extending from the gas tank. 21 to the chamber 57. Consequently, the gas is normally fed into chamber 57, and in turn communicated by reason of valve 61 being normally open or unseated with the chamber 58. This latter chamber is in turn connected by pipe 28 in a manner similar to T-joint 27 with the inlet 8 of the generator 2. Hence, the gas from tank 21 is normally communicated to the generator. With this arrangement, when it is desired to start the stove, handle 14 is turned to open valve 9 and the burner lit, as soon as the flow of gas reaches manifold 3. The flame is then regulated in the customary manner by adjusting valve 14 and the stove placed in condition for continuous operation. As soon as the flame from burner 4has heated the generator sufliciently to vaporize the liquid fuel, tube 6 will have expanded sufliciently to cause the arm 55 to engage the stem 63 on which the valves 61 and 62 are mounted,

and force the valve 61 closed and the valve 62 open against the pressure of spring 65. When this is done the gas is prevented from flowing from chamber 57 of the valve mechanism into the chamber 58, and hence is shut off while the unseating of valve 62 places the chamber 59 in communication with the chamber 58 and thereby permits the liquid fuel to be forced into the generator and thence into the manifold 3 after being vaporized in the expansion chamber 7 of the generator.

To provide for varying the temperature in the tubing 6 necessary to effect closing of valve 61 and opening of valve 62, a stub pin 67 is mounted in an opening 68 in the end of arm 55 in alignment with the stem 63, and provided at its outer end with an adjustment nut 69 selectively held in place by a lock nut 71. This stub pin is arranged to slide freely in the opening 68 and is provided with a spring 72 on its inner end bearing against the arm 55, and a shoulder 73 formed on its inner end. The purpose of the spring 72 is to permit the generator to expand beyond that point necessary to effect the closing of thevalve 61 without allowing a suflicient pressure to be exerted on the valve toinjure it.

It will be appreciated that in accordance with this invention that the gas fuel will be normally used only during a very small portion of the time in which the stove or heater is in operation, inasmuch as it is used only use it makes it possible to operate a burner or heater having the characteristics of a gas burner with liquid fuel in places, such as in rural districts, where gas fuels are not readily available. It has been found in service that for operating such a system a single comparatively small tank of gas, such as propane gas or the like, will last in normal operation of the system as long as several tanks of the liquid fuel.

Among the chief advantages of the invention is that it provides a relatively simple system of fuel supply whereby a pressure type gas burner may be started and normally operated by means of a liquid fuel as readily and as satisfactorily as from an ordinary gas supply.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now con sider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A heating system comprising a burner having a supply of liquid fuel and a supply of gas fuel under pressure jointly connected thereto, means for utilizing the pressure of said gas fuel to force the liquid fuel to said burner, means for controlling the admission of both fuels to the burners and temperature responsive fuel controlling means mounted in series with said first mentioned means and adapted to initially admit a flow of the gas fuel and prevent that of the liquid fuel and to automatically shut off the flow of the gas fuel and admit that of the liquid fuel after a predetermined heat has been developed by the burner.

2. The combination with a burner of a thermally expansible generator connected thereto for vaporizing and expanding the fuel-supplied to the burner, a supply of liquid fuel and a supply of gas fuel under pressure for operating said burner, means for communicating said fuels to said generator, means for utilizing the pressure of said gas fuel for forcing the liquid fuel into said generator, a valve associated with said generator for controlling the flow of the fuel supplied to the burner and a valve mechanism in said fuel communicating means in series with said generator valve for selectively controlling the flow of fuel to the generator, said mechanism being adapted to nor-- mally admit the gas fuel to flow and prevent that of the liquid and provided with means arranged to respond to the expansion of the generator and automatically shut off the gas flow and admit the liquid flow when the tem-. perature of the mined value.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.-

. CHESTER L. KERR.

generator. exceeds a predeter- 

